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Fender guitars have been the go-to guitar choice for countless musicians since their initial release in the 1940s.

Not only do they have a classic look, but fender guitars are also praised for their premium quality, rich sound and large variety.

Legends ranging from Buddy Holly, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix to Eddie Van Halen have used them, making them sought-after the world over.

Yes, they are here to stay.

Is the Fender FA-115 a good guitar? Yes, the Fender FA-115 guitar is a lightweight beginner friendly guitar that has a rich sound and is fun to play for beginners and experienced guitarists.

Fender FA-115 Review

The all-new Fender acoustic guitar model, released in 2018, the FA-115, has soon cemented itself as another top choice in the guitar-making industry.

The FA-115 is being offered as a bundle-pack, coming with all the guitar essentials for beginners as listed below.

While the guitar is catered towards beginners, long-playing guitar players have also fallen in love with the model for a variety of reasons.

As always, there are have been some negative factors brought up about the FA-115 by some customers, just like with any other guitar.

These concerns were mostly made by guitar experts who have lots of experience with a variety of guitars, though there are some new-player complaints as well.

Before we get into the pros and cons, let us look at the specifics of the guitar:

  • Back Material: Basswood
  • Body Material: Laminated
  • Fretboard Material: Indian Laurel
  • Scale Length: 25.3 Inches
  • Top Material: Spruce Wood
  • Neck Material Type: Maple
  • Number of Strings: 6
  • Guitar Bridge System: Hardtail Bridge

Bundle Pack Items

  • Fender play online lessons
  • Fender clip-on chromatic tuner
  • Extra set of strings
  • Guitar picks
  • Guitar strap
  • Austin Bazaar instructional DVD

What’s good about the FA-115 guitar?

With an average of 4.5 stars with over 1,400 ratings on Amazon, there is certainly a lot of good that can be said about the FA-115. In fact, it remains a popular-selling item even after its initial release 3 years ago.

While the pros of this guitar range far and wide, the most common praise about the guitar remains as follows:

What makes the FA-115 standout, in particular, is its use of spruce wood, the “top choice” for the soundboard of a guitar, emitting a rich sound with dynamic range.

This makes for great guitar play for any kind of music genre, from classic rock to the blues. Usually, spruce wood guitars are reserved for higher-priced guitars, making this Fender model a great deal.

At just $200, this guitar is a top-notch deal compared to similar models. This is especially true considering that the guitar is sold as a bundle pack with other guitar essentials. Most other guitars of this vein are sold separately, or with fewer additions.

When a completely new player tries out a guitar for the first time, they may have an initially hard time getting used to the instrument’s weight and feel. That is no issue with this model, as its lightweight and classic fender shape make it easy to hold and play for hours on end. This could make the difference between someone who quickly quits the guitar or ends up becoming another legend!

The number-one praise for the FA-115 is just how beginner-friendly it is. It has all the acoustic guitar essentials without being overly complex. Its build-quality gives newbies an introduction to the best of what guitars can offer.

Many customers of this guitar have emphasized how fun the guitar is to play, whether for practice, recording or even at a live show. It’s great for learning oldies and new hits alike!

Key takeaway: The FA-115 is the ideal guitar for beginners, thanks to its ease-of-use, classic look and feel, and ability to be played for hours on end. This model could be the perfect entryway to make complex models in the future.

What’s not so good about the FA-115 guitar?

Of course, no guitar is perfect. There are some aspects of the FA-115 model that may turn off those who have been playing guitar for a long time or consider themselves experts. Most of the concerns reflect on the guitar’s durability over time and some unfortunate incidents that occurred with shipping:

Complaints of quality: Peruse reviews of this guitar, and you are bound to come across a story or two of the instrument arriving with dents, scratches or string problems. Some customers have also complained that the guitar arrives with a sticker on top of it that is difficult to remove. It should be noted that these kinds of issues have been reported before plenty of times with online orders of many other musical instruments. Therefore, some customers may prefer purchasing this model in-store to avoid any potential, similar issues.

Tough for kids: While this guitar is a good beginner guitar overall, it is not always a good go-to for children. Children with small hands may have a hard time forming a chord or adapting to the steel strings of the instrument. In this case, it would be better for parents to invest in a child-size guitar for their children.

Issues with other parts of the bundle: While the fact that this guitar comes with a bundle pack is a huge advantage for beginners (and certainly wallets as well!), there have been problems with the other items included in the bundle as well. Some have complained that the guitar case was flimsy with zippers that broke easily. The guitar strap also had similar complaints. Fortunately, there were no concerns over the instruction video and manual that came with the guitar.

Not long-lasting: Those who play the guitar frequently throughout every day have noted that this guitar takes damage easily and is not long-lasting compared to other Fender models. Over time, the guitar strings may easily falter, the body may take on many scratches and dents and the sound may suffer. Therefore, those who play guitar quite often may want to look into other classic Fender models.

Strings: For guitar first-timers, the guitar strings can be difficult to get used to. After all, our fingers are not used to pressing steel strings against a board in a quick manner! Additionally, guitar experts know that the debate between nylon and steel strings has been on-going for years. Nylon strings are the usual go-to for beginners, as they are softer on the fingers. This model comes with steel strings, which have been off-putting for some. Though this is the case, customers can always exchange the steel strings for nylon strings at their local guitar shop.

Key takeaway: While some guitar experts love the guitar’s beginner-quality, others who are looking for a more complex, durable guitar may want to look elsewhere. Furthermore, there is always a chance that musical instruments will suffer from damage while being shipped to a customer’s home, so this should be considered before purchase. Fortunately, there have been many reports of excellent customer service when these cases do arise.

What’s the verdict of the FA-115?

Fender guitars are simply some of the best in the biz and for plenty of great reasons.

It is no wonder that some of the world’s best musicians used them, as well as up-and-coming players.

At its price, the FA-115 will serve as a great introduction to new guitar players all around the world.

Author

Eduardo Perez is a multi-instrumentalist with over 20 years of experience playing instruments such as piano, guitar, ukulele, and bass. Having arranged songs and produced music in a recording studio, he has a wealth of knowledge to share about analyzing songs, composing, and producing. Currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Musical Studies at Berklee College School of Music. Featured on Entrepreneur.com. Subscribe to his YouTube channel, or follow him on Instagram.

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